“My daughter wore pads only during the day and used rags at night”: Sanitary pad accessibility and educational outcomes for girls in Ghana

IF 2 3区经济学 Q2 DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Development Policy Review Pub Date : 2025-07-14 DOI:10.1111/dpr.70023

Clement Adamba, Justina Addai

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Motivation

The onset of menstruation is an important physiological change that occurs in girls during adolescence. Ghana is making steady progress in improving girls' education by breaking down barriers, but a major issue to be addressed is lack of access to menstrual hygiene products. The situation is made worse by the imposition of a luxury tax on sanitary products. As part of a bursary programme offered by Ghana Education Service/UNICEF, 1,000 girls from northern Ghana regions received sanitary pad distribution support, aimed at keeping them in school until transition to senior high school (Grades 10, 11, and 12).

Purpose

The study examines the usefulness of sanitary pad distribution support in improving girls' education. The research questions are: what is the unmet need for sanitary pads among vulnerable adolescent girls in rural Ghana, what are the related coping mechanisms, and how useful is the distribution of sanitary pads for girls' education?

Approach and methods

The study adopted a phenomenological approach involving beneficiaries, their parents and District Girls' Education Officers. Data collection techniques were focus group discussions for beneficiaries, in-depth interviews for parents, and key informant interviews for officers.

Findings

The high cost of pads presents significant barriers for many schoolgirls from low-income families. A packet of eight to 12 pads costs, on average, GHS 25, which exceeds the daily minimum wage in Ghana of GHS 14.88. Due to this, girls turn to resource rationing strategies that can have a significant adverse effect on their education.

Policy implications

The removal of tax on local pads, while commendable, is undermined by the maintaining of taxes on the necessary imported raw materials. In Kenya, the removal of taxes was complemented by the introduction of subsidies and the free distribution of pads in schools. Alongside tax removal, Ghana could provide subsidies to local producers and introduce social distribution of sanitary pads in basic schools to create a ready market for local producers, intensify public education on menstrual hygiene to eradicate stigma while simultaneously supporting girls' education.

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“我的女儿只在白天戴卫生巾，晚上用破布”：加纳女孩卫生巾的可及性和教育成果

月经的开始是发生在女孩青春期的一个重要生理变化。加纳通过打破障碍，在改善女童教育方面取得了稳步进展，但需要解决的一个主要问题是缺乏获得月经卫生用品的途径。对卫生用品征收奢侈品税使情况变得更糟。作为加纳教育服务处/联合国儿童基金会提供的一项助学金方案的一部分，来自加纳北部地区的1 000名女孩获得了卫生巾分发支助，目的是使她们继续上学，直到升入高中（10年级、11年级和12年级）。目的探讨卫生巾发放支持在改善女童教育中的作用。研究的问题是：加纳农村弱势少女对卫生巾的需求未得到满足的情况是什么？相关的应对机制是什么？卫生巾的分发对女孩教育有多大用处？研究采用现象学方法，涉及受益人、其父母和地区女童教育官员。数据收集技术包括针对受益人的焦点小组讨论、针对家长的深度访谈和针对官员的关键信息提供者访谈。研究结果卫生巾的高成本对许多低收入家庭的女学生来说是一个很大的障碍。一包8到12个卫生巾的平均价格为25 GHS，超过了加纳每天14.88 GHS的最低工资。因此，女孩转向资源配给策略，这可能对她们的教育产生重大不利影响。取消对当地原料的征税虽然值得赞扬，但由于对必要的进口原料继续征税而受到损害。在肯尼亚，除取消税收外，还实行补贴，并在学校免费分发卫生巾。除了取消税收，加纳还可以向当地生产商提供补贴，在基础学校实行卫生巾的社会分配，为当地生产商创造现成的市场，加强关于月经卫生的公共教育，消除耻辱感，同时支持女孩的教育。

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来源期刊

Development Policy Review DEVELOPMENT STUDIES-

CiteScore

3.50

自引率

5.90%

发文量

期刊介绍： Development Policy Review is the refereed journal that makes the crucial links between research and policy in international development. Edited by staff of the Overseas Development Institute, the London-based think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues, it publishes single articles and theme issues on topics at the forefront of current development policy debate. Coverage includes the latest thinking and research on poverty-reduction strategies, inequality and social exclusion, property rights and sustainable livelihoods, globalisation in trade and finance, and the reform of global governance. Informed, rigorous, multi-disciplinary and up-to-the-minute, DPR is an indispensable tool for development researchers and practitioners alike.